Deuteronomy 7:17-26

17 si dixeris in corde tuo plures sunt gentes istae quam ego quomodo potero delere eas

18 noli metuere sed recordare quae fecerit Dominus Deus tuus Pharaoni et cunctis Aegyptiis

19 plagas maximas quas viderunt oculi tui et signa atque portenta manumque robustam et extentum brachium ut educeret te Dominus Deus tuus sic faciet cunctis populis quos metuis

20 insuper et crabrones mittet Dominus Deus tuus in eos donec deleat omnes atque disperdat qui te fugerint et latere potuerint

21 non timebis eos quia Dominus Deus tuus in medio tui est Deus magnus et terribilis

22 ipse consumet nationes has in conspectu tuo paulatim atque per partes non poteris delere eas pariter ne forte multiplicentur contra te bestiae terrae

23 dabitque eos Dominus Deus tuus in conspectu tuo et interficiet illos donec penitus deleantur

24 tradet reges eorum in manus tuas et disperdes nomina eorum sub caelo nullus poterit resistere tibi donec conteras eos

25 sculptilia eorum igne conbures non concupisces argentum et aurum de quibus facta sunt neque adsumes ex eis tibi quicquam ne offendas propter ea quia abominatio est Domini Dei tui

26 nec inferes quippiam ex idolo in domum tuam ne fias anathema sicut et illud est quasi spurcitiam detestaberis et velut inquinamentum ac sordes abominationi habebis quia anathema est

Deuteronomy 7:17-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 7

In this chapter the Israelites are exhorted to destroy the seven nations of the land of Canaan, when they entered into it, and to make no alliances with them of any kind, nor suffer any remains of idolatry to continue, De 7:1-5 to observe which, and other commands of God, they are urged from the consideration of their being freely chosen of God above all other people, and of their being redeemed out of the house of bondage, and of the Lord's being a covenant keeping God to them, De 7:6-11 and it is promised them, for their further encouragement to keep the commands of God, that they should have an increase of all temporal good things, and no evils and calamities should come upon them, De 6:12-16, and, lest they should be disheartened at the numbers and might of their enemies, they are put in mind of what God had done for them in Egypt, and of what he had promised to do for them now, De 7:17-20 and they are assured that the nations should be cast out before them by little and little, until they were utterly destroyed, De 7:21-24 and the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to destroy their images, and not admit anything of that sort to be brought into their houses, De 7:25,26.